Last Friday, I was riding the metro elevators when I noticed two teenaged boys had stopped next to me and were staring. I gave them a dirty look, which seemed to incite them to make lewd comments. They continued to stare at me and I was afraid they would follow me into work or wait outside the building to attack me as I exited.

Today, I saw one of the two boys as I was exiting the metro station. He saw me because he slowed to walk next to me. I told him to stay away from me, but he continued his approach. I walked back towards the station attendant’s box and told him I would report him to security. He said, “Go ahead. I’ll go with you.”

The station attendant’s box was empty, but I saw a male coworker leaving the station. My male co-worker walked between me and the teenager, who threatened to “lay me out and f*ck” me as we rode up the escalator. I tried to ignore him, but was terribly embarrassed that this happened in front of my coworker. As soon as I got to my office, I called Metro Transit Police, and they sent out an officer to take a report within a half hour.

I’m still traumatized and afraid that the teenager and/or his friends will escalate to physical violence.

Emphases by CASS.Submitted 7/2/13 by Anonymous.

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault? Submit your story to help raise awareness about the pervasiveness and harmful effects of street harassment. All submissions are posted anonymously unless otherwise specified. If you experience or have experienced sexual harassment on the DC Metro system: Whether the event is happening at the moment or occurred months ago, we strongly encourage you to report to Metro Transit Police (MTP): www.wmata.com/harassment or 202-962-2121. Reporting helps identify suspects as well as commons trends in harassment. Recommended tip:Program MTP’s number into your phone so you can easily reach them when needed. If you need assistance in coping with public sexual harassment or assault, please contact the DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC) 24/7 crisis hotline at 202-333-RAPE (202-333-7279).

One Response

Caroline Lukas

Dear Anonymous,
I am so sorry you had this experience. It is important to us that Metro be a safe space for all our riders and we will not tolerate that kind of behavior. You did all the right things. Calling Metro Transit Police and filing a report is something we encourage everyone who has been harassed or threatened to do. We have been posting officers at Navy Yard with greater frequency since hearing from you and I hope that helps to alleviate at least some of your anxiety.

Again, thank you for alerting us about this – both through CASS and by calling Transit Police.
We continue to track these incidents and could not do so if you, and others like you, had not spoken out against harassment.